Part 11 (2/2)

It was obvious toup, and pulling on a robe I was barely covered when Jehosheba, , stepped into my quarters

First of all, she was beautiful, like a Goddess of abundance Everything about her was more so: She seemed to have twice as much hair as a normal woman, with color that ice as rich and deep, and curls that were twice as strong and shi+ny Her face and its features were exquisite, her teeth glistened like pearls, and were perfectly matched As to her body--I could tell, by the way the taut skin moved on her well-molded ar,” I said ”I like to behold fine works of nature” And indeed, that hat she seeed to behold you close-up,” she said, inning siht Mark that down Remember that

”I a in that in which I a love to a nize that it is an art,” she said ”Just because anyone e in it does not mean that anyone kno to Everyone knoalk, but only a few are pleasing to watch while walking”

”Tell ”

I cannot recount all she said Much of it was common sense, of course Do not take off your clothes in a cold room Do not allow interruptions Do not speak of any other matters Do not, under any circumstances, speak of other women And never, never ask, Do you love me? Do you love ain? Will you cos Only a fool says those things

”Each e of himself and a woman, and it is your job to answer that dream Inase is that it is not readily apparent which e in his enius to discover it All great courtesans are geniuses that way They pull out what is deepest in the other person and give it a face and foret potions and perfu forth this deepest desire and drea this, you will find yourself changed as well, and you may come to love him For there is a possibility he may answer your own deepest secret dream Always that possibility”

”Has this ever happened to you?” I asked this creature of inspiring love

”No,” she admitted ”But there is always the next tih Even in that, she was beguiling She indicated owns,” she said ”They are your tools!”

After she left, I felt more lost than ever Before, I had not knohat I did not know, i a chair or cooking a ste I kneasthat was unteachable I would have to face Caesar with neither knowledge nor experience in this realm, and by the time I acquired any, it would be too late I felt like a human sacrifice

Chapter 12

I took special care in selecting the rug I knew that, as a connoisseur of fine furnishi+ngs, Caesar ift It also allowedthe scarlet thread of Cappadocia to that of Arabia, and other such weighty questions I took an entire day to decide betweenwas finally lying in its canvas bag atboat that Apollodoros was rowing-- ah! all too competently--a safe distance from the shore, ard to Alexandria

I could see the di inland But we soon passed them by, and the sands were ereen of the Delta started We were co before we ca and Apollodoros had fastened it around , threaded prison, and I could feel every shudder and thump as the boat bounced over the waves I felt us shake as we passed a very rough spot, and I guessed that was the entrance of the harbor, where the waves dashed against the base of the Lighthouse even in good weather As we bobbed and bucked, and I began to feel sick, I couldn't help a faint sht end by ruining it!

Now, that would i! I bit my lip and willed ht I could not stand it anotherstopped We had entered calan to hear voices There were other boats nearby

Of course there would be The palace still had to be supplied with food, linen, and firewood Surely one more boat would not be noticed

I heard Apollodoros shouting good-natured remarks to the other boats The water under the boat was quiescent now, and we glided along Soon there was a gentle buainst wood Then I felt the boat bounce and ride higher in the water as Apollodoros stepped out He was pulling it along a canal, most likely the main one that led south to the lake and north into the palace area

What was the hour? It ht, the normal hour for commercial vessels to be out, but I hoped it was near sunset The later I got to Caesar's quarters, thethe ay and then came to an abrupt stop This rounds I heard, uards and of Apollodoros What was he saying? O Isis, you iven hirate being lifted so we could float past Apollodoros gave a cheery call of thanks

I felt us being tied up Then nothing No htly rolled rug prevented s with air, and the lack of one to sleep or become unconscious, because I have nowas being carried But was it by Apollodoros, or so--except ht betray ht by saying there were gold goblets inside as a gift to Caesar

I lay as straight as I could, hoping that I did not id that the rug looked as if it held a rod inside; I had to drape as if I had no backbone

My neck was about to be snapped, and with each footstep ainst the inside of the roll That, added to the lack of air, began to deprivestars before ain I heard low voices, then louder ones arguing Then the creak of a door

I stiffened; I could not helpplaced on the floor, and a tug as the bindings were cut away Suddenly there was a yank, and the entire rug shot out fro me out and onto the slippery onyx floor I slid several feet before I could free my hands to stop s, their feet encased in Roht beforequickly up past the leather strips of the general's unifor directly into his face: Caesar's face

I recognized it from his busts and his portraits The features were the same But what none of them had captured was the reserved, deadly power of the s,” he said, and his voice was quiet, almost a whisper But not the sort of whisper that is afraid of being overheard; it is the whisper of one who knows others will strain to catch his every word, and he need not deign to raise his voice to conversational level

Still, I caught the shadow of surprise crossing his face; he was unsuccessful at hiding it entirely

He reached down to take my hand and pull me up I was struck with his utter assurance; how easily I could have slashed at hi hihtened, so puzzled was I by thishad left me dazed and unsteady on my feet It was dark outside Oil laone? How long had aited in Alexandria? Caesar seeift fro to the unfurled rug Caesar stepped on it ”But it is not Egyptian,” he said ”I a at me He looked as if he kneell how to syptian either,” he finally said, with virtually no expression It was iht Yet his lack of ani

”My ancestry, as Caesar well knows, is Macedonian, but as Queen of Egypt I have taken the spirit of Egypt for h I were a tree, rooted and growing in his--my--chamber For I now found myself as an intruder in my very own apartments

”Do you like the tortoiseshell doors in this chamber?” I asked, more boldly than I felt ”I was always uest, or ahed, but his face still held that peculiar reserve of power and watchfulness ”We are both one another's You will have to educate s I a a hard-backed chair

I chose not to answer that ”I am here, as you requested” I waited He raised one eyebrow ”In good time, too I am impressed Most impressed” He nodded

”I was told you respected speed” ”Above als you respect?”

”Fortune, and the courage to grasp it” He leaned back and crossed his arms They were brown, lean, and sinewy

”I have heard you are a gah!' as you crossed the Rubicon”

”You have heard much,” he said

”Your boldness was rewarded,” I continued The truth was, I had not heard e of him ”As you hope yours will be,” he said ”Yes”

Now, at long last, he als to only a select few”

It was as if I were hearing hts s rewards For rasped only by the bold,” I answered rewards For rasped only by the bold,” I answered

”Enough words,” he said, and waved for Apollodoros to depart

He bowed and withdrew Then Caesar turned toto reach out and take me, just as he took Gaul and Rome I braced myself I was ready

”Why did you send supplies to Pompey?” he suddenly asked

I had had, but not interested in pursuing it He even looked disgusted, or possibly only amused It was inus Po's patron”